


Son Of Man

by Kakasakufangirl



Series: Bad Days, Sad Days [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8388472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakasakufangirl/pseuds/Kakasakufangirl
Summary: It's time for a family reunion at the Stark's house hold and Tony hates every minute of it. It just another way for his family members to probe around in each other's life and see who's had the best life. Oh great he gets to play the perfect son for a day when his life has been anything but perfect.
Hey at least his mom is sober for the next couple of days. His dad is actually home. It almost feels as if he's actually a normal kid. Obadiah hasn't come around in a while, thank God. In fact, he hasn't heard from him in a while. Strange but with any small pleasantries is a given and he'll take it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I titiled it this but I couldn't help it. If you haven't guessed by now I usually title fics on songs, movies or quotes. Yeah, I know I'm a dork.

Tony straightened his tie. Tonight was the night of a great yet terrible night for him. He's dreaded this day since the brink of it's existence and now that it comes around twice yearly, his life has gotten a whole lot harder. Tonight would be the night were lies would be uttered, people judging him to the full extant that their eyes and body language could and stoic facial features would be turned up to the max.

Tonight he would play one of his best and most convincing roles of all. Forget pretending to be normal at school where everyone and all of his friends where watching. While they were more important, this would have to be one of his all time hardest assignments. To pretend like the last couple of weeks didn't happen and that he was the son of Howard Stark.

No. That he deserved to be the son of Howard Stark.

In comparison, lying to his family is a lot easier than lying to his friends but it doesn't take much to convince his friends. They've known his most of his life and know when he really didn't want to talk about something. They trusted him. His family, on the other hand, would be a lot harder to persuade. While he did see them more than he wanted to, in this family, if you wanted to escape ridicule you had to assert your role at the top of the market. You had to prove your better than the rest, be better than the rest.

There was no room for mistake. If he failed, he failed his whole entire family and might get disowned like his Aunt did all because she brought her transgender lover at the time.

He remembered that day clearly. His mom had stopped the pill pooping a couple of days earlier because her sister in-law, his aunt, was staying over. His Aunt Arlene decided to check in a few days earlier than the rest to spend sometime with him to give his mother the break she really didn't deserve but he didn't complain. He actually loved his aunt.

His Aunt was the only one out of his freak show of a family that he would deem the closest thing to normal. She was an archeologist and travelled all over the world to see and research dig sights. Sometimes she would do the digs herself which is strange because she really hates dirt. Talk about "weird science".

During their little "aunt-nephew hang out day", she told him about the wonders of the world and how he was going to experience them one day. She talked to him about how one day he was going to meet the girl of his dreams and they were going to get out of this crazy external networks life where everything he did lead back up to his reputation.

At the time, the girl of his dreams was Pepper and her father tried to kill him so...yeah, he didn't believe her. Another thing he didn't believe was that he was going to escape the clutches of his family ties and his reputation has been a downward spiral since the day he was born so he didn't care about that. He told her this and more.

He told her about the five crazy best friends he's had since he could walk. She seemed to actually take interest in his life right then and it was so nice just to watch someone listen to him speak about these amazing people. His hero's. He's friends that he loved dearly and couldn't live without them. She was, he wanted to say shocked but it was more like intrigued by what he had to say about them. Her expression almost comical.

He remembers her exact words she said to him after that. _"Better not catch your father or the rest of the family hear you talking about them like that." They were currently seated down at the park watching the sun go down. Soon it would be time to go back to his secluded hell which he dared to call a home._

 _"Why not? Is he going to get mad?" Keep in mind he was thirteen at the time and didn't realise that in his house home, different didn't belong. He wouldn't realise that until that night why._

 _

She could only smile at him for reasons he didn't understand at the time. "Well, let me put it this way. Your father wouldn't understand the feeling of loving more than one person. However or whoever that may be. The girl, right now, Natasha. It's okay to feel that way about the her but the others, the boys, not so much."

"Why can't I love Clint, Bruce, Thor and Steve the same way that I love Natasha?" His mind could process holding the red head at a higher standard than the rest just because she was a girl. "I mean don't get me wrong. I love Natasha too. She's amazing, she's great and I couldn't think about living without her but I love the others just the same. Why does their genders matter?"

"Because it just does Tony. You can love people at different levels and hold them close to you but when it comes to loving people no matter what they are, it's almost as if that's the universes flaw that it can't grasp." She turned to him and he could see shades of hurt written all over her face. "I like people...the way they are not the way the world wants to perceive them. If they wanted to be a pink flamingo or a pony, I wouldn't judge. Hell, I wouldn't even care."

"But some people will because they just don't understand. You can't help what you feel. You can try to hide it or embrace it but it's still there. Them not understanding is not their fault because they just can't help it. So when you grow up and you tell your father how you really feel about those people who make you feel really special and hold a special place in that huge heart of yours, don't hate him if he can't understand. Don't hate anyone because they don't know what your going through. People can't read minds, people can only feel."

_

That was the most confusing life lesson that he had gotten in his whole entire life but he understood that she understood how he felt because the day of their family reunion she brought her lover who was a woman but they saw her as a man. Tony saw why they saw what they saw because he understood so when they all screamed at her to get out and disowned her like they did, he didn't judge.

He did, however, hold a little spite for his father for throwing his own sister out of his house. That he felt he was entitled to and to this day he has still held spite for the man in doing so.

Tony stared at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was combed back in a fashionable if not formal style. He was groomed in a tailored black suit that he just felt itchy in with black dress shoes. A nine hundred dollar outfit and he was only wearing it for one night before he out grew it and got another. He felt disgusted.

Right now he could be checking in on Natasha or hanging out with Clint and Thor. He'd even take one of Bruce's afternoon long study session which they both knew they would never need. They would probably just end the session and watch something on TV. Maybe they could try practice kissing again. That was fun. Interesting.

"Tony Stark! Be down here in five or else I will retrieve you myself!" The sound of his mother's voice echoed from down stairs. Gag. 'Isn't it a little too early to put on the mother role.

Another time then; he and Bruce could have another movie night session. He placed his game face on and tried dwell too hard on his current situation. With confident steps, he walked towards his door preparing to be Howard and Maria Stark's perfect son once again.

His aunt's voice came rushing back into his mind and he paused. _"...I like people...the way they are not the way the world wants to perceive them..."_ His mind did a double take on those words. He could could tell his father today about his friends. Like really tell him how he feels.

He'd be walking into an arrow of already disappointment shot but what more could the man do to him, spend less time with him. Yeah like that would hurt. He wouldn't get kick out, that much he knows for sure. His father didn't want the media getting a hold of his son. The man didn't want Tony to outright rebel and utter the secrets his family keeps. That would ruin the family "reputation". So what's stopping him?

Nothing Howard Stark, could ever do to him, hurt him.

Tony smiled as he felt more powerful and in control of his life than he had in the past week or so. He stormed down those steps only to be stopped by his mother. "Honey, honey! Where are you rushing off to?" She gently placed her hand on his shoulder forcing him to stare at her.

She seemed tried. More tired than usual when she was on the pills. Her eyes didn't have that dull look in them like they usually do when she was on them so why was she so...exhausted. They were a little puffy as if she were crying. Her small smile even looked worn.

She did however look beautiful. He looked up and down at her. The woman's hair was pinned up in a tight bun letting only a few strands of hair fall down. No likely the maid had to help her with that one. His mother's hands trembled too much from all the drugs that were pumped through her system. Her long crimson red dress hung loosely around her ankles showing off her more slimer look and her shoes were like slippers. Custom made. She almost looked like the woman who used to hold him and cradle him off to sleep every time he had a nightmare.

Almost.

"I need to talk with Dad about something." He said turning towards his father's study with deep anticipation. He needed to tell him before his family got here. That much, he deserved to know because tonight he was going to tell them too. That and to shove it where the sun don't shine.

"Oh your father's in the kitchen. He and I wanted to discuss something with you also." She said with a slight smile on her face. It looked more genuine that the first one. She turned and place one arm around his shoulder and the one on his upper arm. Carefully, as if he was a baby bird just learning how to fly she guided him into the kitchen.

He face cautioned because they didn't do family talk together. It was usually like a court case. He'd speak his piece and then she'd speak hers. Tony hardly ever got a say in anything. Except for the one time they wanted a divorce and asked him which one he wanted to stay with. He couldn't decide so they chose to just stay together and work it out. They never worked it out though.

As they entered the kitchen, he could smell the many of foods that the chef cooked up for them tonight. It was mouth watering. It almost made him remember how hungry he was and when it was the last time his had a decent meal. He ignored the feeling though. Too deep in thought about why his parents wanted to talk to him together all of a sudden.

His father was sitting expectantly at the head of the table since it was his house. His mother, he could already tell, was sitting not where she usually sat which was right next to his father but a seat over. To be a gentleman he pulled out his mother's chair first before proceeding to his own which was strangely right in between them.

It was silent as a bland, plain day. His father who was tailored in a suit similar to his was hunched over slightly, with his hand kneed together looked uncertain about whatever was on his mind. His father, the very ideal of certainty and proper was uncertain about something.

This was a very strange day indeed, he concluded in his head. Tony watched as Howard struggled to come to terms with his own words. The man opened his mouth before briefly closing them again. His father at a lost for words. "Oh for Gods sake Howard, just spit it out." His mother said.

His mother said that. She was...assertive. Okay did he just step into a parallel fucking universe or what because never in his life did he ever hear hismother speak out of terms with his father. It was always "yes dear", "of course dear". What was going on around here?

Howard only glared mmomentarily before his eyes downcast to his son. He seemed grim about something. "Tony," he said as his eyes could no longer reveal his feelings. "You know how we had that talk a few days back when I said that if you ever need to talk to me about something then you can."

"Yeah...where is this going?" He asked not sure if he wanted to find out the answer. His eyes darted from one parent to the other begging for clues as to what was going on here.

"Is there something you want to tell me, to tell us?"

"No." He said going on the defensive.

Hurriedly, Howard spoke. "Your not in trouble." He seemed itching to get something off his head though.

"I never thought I was."

"So there's nothing you want to tell us?" His mother asked worried.

"No."

"At you sure?" She asked.

"Yes. Is this interrogation over? I'd like to leave now." He said defensively as he stood up. He didn't feel like talking to his father about Nat and them. He'd find another time when he was well out of arms reach and the man could ring in weird shit on him.

A hand stopped him from proceeding. His father pulled him back down into his seat. Surprisingly they were warm not cold like they usually arm. "No sit down son." His tone was deep as if he had some great secret to tell. "We wanted to talk to you about something that happened the other day. Something unusual."

"What?" He asked. His curiosity was peaked now.

"Your friends came by the other day and said some really disturbing things have been happening to you. Things they said you wouldn't tell us to save your life." His mother answered. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Which ones?" Tony asked as he thought about the many of things he was going to do once he got out of here. First he was going to kill Steve. Then he was going to murder Bucky because he knew that if Steve was here than Bucky was here. Fuckers.

"All of them." That was not the answer he expected. "Steve, Thor, Natasha, Clint and young Bruce. They seemed very testy with and refused to leave until your mother and I had a word with them." That he could believe. "Their a very...rambunctious group aren't." His father sounded irritated. It probably had to due with the fact that his friends were involved.

"There was no one else with them? Just them." He asked. If Bucky wasn't there then they all came of their own accord. Just for him. A small grin spread on his face but it quickly drifted away as he remembered where he was at.

"No, just them." Once again his mother answered.

"Wait...how do you know their names? Every time I call them by name you seem to forget who they are."

"Believe me Tony. I keep a closer eye on the two of you than you think." That made Tony's heart stop. Does he know about...? He can't...can and something in his father's eyes told him that he might.

"So you know about Obadiah?"

"I wanna hear it out of your mouth."

He really didn't want to repeat everything that man said and did to him to his parents. All that power and confidence he was feeling a couple of minutes ago was gone but when he felt his mother place her hand on his shoulder he couldn't help it. Once again he was crumbling and that thin layer of paper holding back all his emotions was tearing. "Well...the first time it happened I was skipping school because of something happened between me and Steve."

"It was dumb, irrelevant. It wasn't something I should've not gone to school over but I didn't want to see him anymore. I was walking by that old dump sight wear we used to hang out at when we where younger..." He said the last sentence to his mother because she would have more of a memory than his father since she used to pick him up from there all the time.

"Obadiah just pulled up out of nowhere behind me and asked why I wasn't in school. He was your partner in business. I didn't want him to tell you that I wasn't in school because I knew how you would react so I got in his car. He took me to this weird outdated abandoned houses around the corner. He told me to come inside because he had a proposition for me. One that didn't involve me getting into trouble."

"I had this feeling that something wasn't right but he was your partner, I thought he wouldn't hurt me. I-I went inside and he, he offered not to tell you unless I had sex with him." He felt hand, huge hands running over his back. It was almost like the man was standing right behind him. "I said but he was persistence. We fought and he knocked me out with a sedative. Next thing," he felt hysterical all of a sudden, "...I know is I'm lying out on the floor, face planted into the carpet...and I can **_feel_** him on top of me."

There was something wet on his cheek and he realised that he was crying. He wanted to wipe them away but he was too afraid to move now. Tony glanced up into his father's eyes and saw a stone cold deathly glare. It wasn't directed at him but he was thinking about murdering someone in particular. His mother rubbed circles into his back. Gently soothing him. He didn't dare look back at her because if he saw her cry he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

"I felt weak, pathetic as if I allowed this to happen. He kept reminding me so." Tony decided to leave out the parts about Steve and the rest of his friends. About how they would never have him first or they couldn't erase the damage he had already caused. "When he was done he got up and said something to me, I don't remember what it was but he promised not to call and tell you so I just assumed that it was over."

"I was wrong it happened again, another time...with more people. I don't know who they were but they seem to have know you and Obadiah." Tony stated simply feeling numb to the core. His was blank.

"If I showed you a bunch of pictures would you be able to point them out?" He father asked after a really long period of being silent.

He didn't want to but it didn't matter they were probably long gone anyway. "Yeah..." He stated feeling emotionally exhausted.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see his father look up over his head. Probably at his mother. Unbeknownst to him Maria was shaking her head, silently tell her husband that now was not the right time to disgust the other problem. Right now they need to take car of their son.

"Tony, my brave boy." His mother kissed him on the fore head before moving on to his cheek. "We're going to get you help okay. We're all going to get help. I don't want you to worry about anything anymore." She combed her fingers through his hair. A task she hadn't done in a long time.

It felt too good to be true. He was waiting for his alarm clock to go off and him to wake up in his bed and prepare for the hell he would have to endure during the time his family stayed here but there was no alarm.

"Why so we can pretend to be a perfect family for the day and you can go back to ignoring me and you can go back to your pills?" He shouted at her swatting away her hands.

She shook her head and cupped his face. "No Tony...I'm going to get help. Your father and I sought out a family psychiatrist who agreed to help us. Yourfather is going to take some time off work so we can do this together. We're going to deal with Obadiah. We'll stop him. You just go to school, come home, say hi and then go hang out with your friends. You don't have to worry about anything." Her smiles seem to keep changing from happy to sad in an instant.

"We just want you to be happy Tony." His father said in the gentlest voice the man could manage without sounding angry. Tony watched in surprise as his father held out his arms for a hug. He was offering him a hug and without hesitation he took it. He may have wrapped him arms around his father tighter than he had imagined. He may have cried so loud that everyone in the neighborhood could hear but he didn't care. He was in pain and damn it all to hell if he wasn't going to get help when he could.

His parents beloved him. They wanted him. They loved him. They were alive and holding him as if they actually care. Forgive him if he sounds too desperate but if he woke up the next morning and this was all a ruse just to be the perfect family for one night then he gladly take it for now. Something in their eyes told him that they were serious this time. They weren't going to ignore each other until the problem gushed over they were going to talk about it and they were going to help because they loved him.

They understood.

Finally.

  


~ • ~

  


Later that night, after all was quited down and Tony's Uncle Herbert was entertaining aka; boring the rest of his family with news of his latest adventure in the northern wetlands, Maria and Howard would slipped away for their son was too busy trying to use his uncle's story to catch up on some sleep. The two would go into their bedroom to discuss their current discoveries about their son.

"Do you think everything those kids said about Tony was true that he's been raped more than he's letting on?" Maria asked her husband as he paced back and forth in the room. They were currently waiting on a phone call from an old friend of his.

"He might be but the way that he just said those words. It could be that he just didn't want to relive it again. I can't believe it's taken me this much time to notice. I should've acted soon with the restless nights, the screaming in his sleep. I'm an asshole."

"I can't argue with you there." She said. Howard only stare at her. She looked as if she were going to cry again and he couldn't blame her. They couldn't protect their own son. "But you're not the only one." She smiled as tears streamed down her face.

He walked over towards her and kneeled down in front of her form. Slowly he cupped her cheek and watched as she grasped her hand with his. "Is there ssomething let of the woman I loved and married?"

"There has to be or else you'd be a fool to stay here." She felt warm lips press against her. It was chaste and slightly held back but they were baby steps, in there would be promise, hope.

The phone ringed causing bother parents to look up at the vibrating device on the dresser. Howards stood up and answered it with Maria not tagging long behind him. He seemed absorbed with the conversation and didn't let on to anything until he placed the phone on speaker for both of their ears to listen.

"Your on speaker so now we both can hear you." Howards said. Whatever reason Fury wanted both of them to hear was probably a good thing in their hearts.

"Okay so I took care of your little problem off the streets. My men caught him trying to talk to some girl a little too young looking into getting in his car. They picked him up and disposed of him in a clean manner." Fury spoke trying not to sound too amused.

"You didn't kill him did you? I wanted to have a some alone time with him." Howard asked.

"Nope, got his wrapped up in a tiny box for you at my old corporation and he's singing like a bird. Had to clean that box three times you know." Fury's voice sounded amused if not slightly agitated about the mess.

"Thank you, Fury."

"Not a problem for an old friend. You take care of that son of yours. Goodbye Maria, Howard." With that the burner phone disconnected. Howards seem to be relieved though his wife still seemed upset.

"Don't worry my dear. Everything will be handled."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry guys for not posting for a while. I just lost interest in this for a while and just generally had a hard time figuring out where I wanna go with this. Plus every time I had something good going on it got deleted.


End file.
